So apparently there’s this Michael Cera movie coming out called Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. (I wonder if he plays someone aloof and awkward?) In hopes of drumming of publicity for the film (obviously it’s working…) there’s a contest going on called “Indie Rock vs. the World” with a bracket full of bands battling each other. Round 1 is over, now it’s round 2, and Columbus’s Karate Coyote is one of 8 bands left. Their new Scott Pilgrim-themed video for “ICU2RN4A187″ (one of my faves off Inner Animals) is up against some horrible band from LA.

So, it is now your duty to go vote for Karate Coyote here. You can vote once a day (per email) thru this Friday, July 2. The winning band will be featured in the film, the video will be on the DVD and Inner Animals would get nationwide distro.

It’s been three weeks since our friend Alix Reese was tragically shot in the neck while driving on the east side. Multiple fundraisers have taken place and the support for them has been and continues to be incredible. In yet another selfless effort to raise money for medical expenses, Jacob Wooten has gathered the help of 20 local businesses and musicians to release a special limited-edition record for Alix.

The album features 15 different singles, including unreleased tracks by Phantods, Winter Makes Sailors and Wing and Tusk. Only 500 copies will be made, and 100% of the sales will be contributed to the Reese family to help pay for medical bills. The album will be released July 2nd at KOBO. Bands on the album will be performing all night. Albums will also be sold Saturday July 3rd at Skully’s Music Dinner, with Mr. Fahrenheit and The Loverboys with special guest Phantods.

Other contributors to this album include The Compressions, Karate Coyote, Saturday Giant, Sleepers Awake, Way Yes, New City Gypsy, Maza Blaska, Stretch Lefty, LES Crew, Ghost Shirt, Old Worlds and Two Cow Garage.

Not really sure of the genesis of this show but it could be the end of a weeklong celebration for The George Elliot Underground who released a new EP, Summer of Weird, earlier this week and played multiple shows in the last week or so with bands such as American Bang and The Wildbirds.

For the price (FREE … download NOW), Summer of Weird, recorded at Electraplay Studio by James Allison (Blastronauts) and Tony Stewart, is worthy of space on the iPod. At times, Summer of Weird recalls the lower NYC lower East Side hipster rock of The Strokes (“I.N.K.”), at other times there’s a retro Detroit-style garage rock sound (“Attack of the Lightening Bird Pt. 11″). My favorite, though, is the 5-minute jam “January One”, heavy with a mid-70’s Southern Rock swagger (if all the songs sounded like this, I’d love to see G.E.U. open a Skynryd/Govt Mule/Black Crowes triple bill).

I’m much more enthused about the second half of Karate Coyote‘s new (and first full-length) album, Inner Animals, but the above track (#2 of 12) helps redeem Side A for me. It’s got all those things you love about Karate Coyote, if you love Karate Coyote: hoots and hollers, ohhs and ahhs, background shouts of “Hey!”, creative vocal lines courtesy of Sam Corlett, little bits of weird/throwback lead guitar that doesn’t seem like it should fit but does.

One of the newer bands in Columbus that I’ve been excited to watch grow has been Karate Coyote. They’ve finally released their first EP, a great mixture of Los Campesinos energy and Velocity Girl throwback pop of the mid 90s.

I caught the band live over the summer as part of the outdoor Haiku benefit. I thought they were a lot of fun live, and you can hear the good vibes come out in the recorded music, too. They’ve got a bunch of shows coming up: click here to see a full list. Buy the MP3s via Amazon.com.